- Understand what a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is and why it’s essential for testing your idea efficiently
- Learn the basics of prototyping, including low-fidelity paper prototypes and wireframes, to make your ideas tangible
- Explore some key principles of UI and UX design that improve usability and clarity, even in early prototypes
- Build an initial prototype to gather actionable feedback from users through testing
Bringing an idea to life can be exciting, but building a full product right away is often risky, resource intensive, and time-consuming. That’s why prototyping and creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) matter—they help you focus on the essentials, test quickly, and learn from real users.
This process of testing, iterating, and refining ensures that your final product solves the right problem and meets the needs of the people who will use it. It’s a hands-on way to experiment, gather insights, and make smarter decisions while protecting your limited resources.
Minimum Viable Product
A Minimum Viable Product, or MVP, is the simplest version of your solution that still delivers value to users. It includes only the core features needed to address the main problem. The key benefit from creating an MVP is that it allows you to test assumptions, gather feedback, and iterate before investing time or resources into a fully developed product.
The following video provides another explanation of MVPs along with some examples of MVPs of some well-known companies, like AirBnb.
When deciding what to include in your MVP, ask yourself: does this feature allow users to experience the core value of your solution and provide meaningful feedback? Features that do not directly test the main problem can be deferred until after initial testing and iteration. Luckily, you have already done much research to identify your key features. Here is how you connect them to your MVP:
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Problem Refinement
Identifies main pain points for users -
Solution Identification
Defines the core functionality of your solution, which should be your top priority -
Competitor Analysis
Shows the gaps that need to be filled. Start with how you differentiate yourself -
Risk Assessment
Identifies assumptions that you must test. MVPs help test risk quickly -
Industry Benchmarking
Gives you the metrics you will need when testing your MVP with users -
Social Listening
Uncovers pain points users experience with current solutions -
SWOT
Reveals strengths and weaknesses. MVPs should focus on strengths while testing weaknesses -
Lean Canvas
Brings everything together to decide MVP features, metrics, channels, and early adopters
What if your solution includes a non-technical part?
If your solution includes both technical and non-technical components (for example, a delivery service or a service-matching platform), you should create an MVP for each component. Scope out the technical part in one document and the non-technical part in a second document. You will need to test both parts with your users.
ACTIVITY 1
Plan MVP Scope
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
1. Using your research above, list the features that your venture idea will have.
2. Sort your features into one of the three categories.
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Must-Have
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Nice-to-Have
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Later
|
|---|---|---|
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To be filled
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To be filled
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To be filled
|
3. Check your must-have list.
- Do they address the items in your Problem box from your Lean Canvas?
- Can you build them in the given timeframe?
- Can you test your key metrics with this list?
4. Check again! See what you can cut from your must-have list. Not everything is needed. Think the most basic elements that will still provide value to users.
The MVP only has the features in the “Must-Have” column. This approach helps you avoid overbuilding, save time and resources, and ensures your MVP stays focused and effective. For example, if you are building an app to help people track their daily tasks, the MVP might only allow users to create and check off tasks. Advanced features such as reminders, notifications, or calendar integration can be added later. For some more examples, jump down to the Additional Resources section and check out this video.
Ultimately, the way you create your MVP will vary depending on your product, but the key is to focus on what truly matters: ensure it tackles the main problem you’re solving and include only the essential features needed to deliver that value. Next, let’s explore prototypes.
Prototypes
A prototype is a representation of your MVP. While an MVP defines the minimum features, prototyping shows how those features actually work in practice. You will iterate through many prototypes, to quickly test out your MVP features. You will start with very low-fidelity prototypes and work your way up to medium and high-fidelity prototypes. Prototypes help you see how users interact with your idea, uncover potential problems, and identify improvements before building a full MVP.
Think of the MVP as your recipe, and the prototype is the dish you serve. Your recipe lists the ingredients, or features of your dish, and defines what you can leave out but still have a complete and tasty dish. You will make many iterations of the dish, using the recipe, testing out how users like the recipe, and adjusting as you go.
Prototypes do not need polished visuals, complex features, or complete technical implementation. Keeping it simple with even a basic sketch of screens, buttons, or interactions can reveal whether users understand and engage with your solution and allows for quick changes.
Types Of Prototypes
1 Paper Prototypes
Paper prototyping is a simple way to create a low-fidelity version of your product. It can be drawn on paper, created with sticky notes, or built using a whiteboard. Paper prototypes allow you to test the core interactions of your solution quickly and inexpensively. For instance, if designing a productivity app, you could sketch screens showing how users add, view, and complete tasks. Sticky notes or cut-outs can simulate buttons or actions, enabling basic interactivity for testing.
A digital paper prototype is also acceptable, especially if you want to share your prototype with remote users. Tools like Figma, Miro, Canva, or Google Slides can help you create simple interactive screens or flow diagrams that simulate the core interactions of your solution. The goal is the same: allow users to experience your product’s main functionality and provide feedback before building a full version.
Here is a good explanation of how Google uses paper prototypes in their design process:
2 Wireframes
Wireframing is the next option after paper prototyping and is slightly higher fidelity. A wireframe is a structured layout of your product’s interface that shows how information and functionality are organized. Unlike paper prototypes, wireframes are usually digital and focus on placement, navigation, and hierarchy rather than visual design. Wireframes help clarify your solution’s structure and prepare for building a more functional MVP.
When creating a wireframe, include screens, menus, buttons, and key interactions that support your core functionality. Keep it simple and clear, avoiding colors, fonts, or graphics that distract from the layout.
You can use static non-clickable wireframes to test general layout, navigation, and task flow. As a next step you can then make your wireframes clickable to simulate interactions. Test with users to see if the flow makes sense, they can navigate easily, and to identify areas that need adjustment before development.
For a more hands-on overview on wireframes, check out this video.
3 Digital Mockups
Digital mockups are where you add the color and branding to your wireframe. They are still not functional, but they allow you to test how users react to your visual design and the aesthetics of your solution.
4 Wizard of OZ MVP
This is a version of your solution where the users think they are interacting with a fully functional product, but the automation is really just a human behind the scenes. This is useful for testing things like chatbots. Instead of using an actual AI model to respond, a human is behind the scenes responding. The Wizard of Oz MVP tests for value to the user. Is this valuable enough to the user that they will pay for it?
5 Concierge MVP
To test the value to the user, you can use the Concierge MVP, where you deliver the solution manually to a few customers (e.g., using a Google Form to take orders and manually fulfilling them, instead of building an automated e-commerce site).
6 Coded Prototypes
In the later stages of prototyping, you will actually add the coding behind the scenes, to add functionality and start to test out your main features. In the prototyping process, you will test these early stage MVPs with a small, private group, your early adopters.
What about GenAI?
You may be thinking, what about using genAI tools to build our prototypes? Once you get to digital prototypes, like wireframes, mockups, and eventually coding, you can certainly use genAI tools to assist! We’ll go into AI coding assistants in much more depth later on.
However, don’t skip the early low-fidelity prototype steps, especially the paper prototypes. It’s important for your team to align on the core user journey, figure out basic information architecture, and think through the core value proposition. This is easier to do quickly with paper and pencil than introducing technology (and AI) too early.
NOTE: If your solution involves non-technical aspects (like delivery, tutoring, transportation), you’ll need to test both the service model AND any tech interface.
Start by testing the service itself manually – check out the Concierge MVP above. This validates whether people want the service and if the economics work.
Once you’ve tested the service model part of your solution (Activity 3), then you can create the prototypes for the technical part of your solution..
Test these separately. Both need validation before you build.
Prototype Fidelity Levels
While the lines may appear blurred between an MVP and a prototype, the prototypes are successive representations of what your eventual MVP will be. Each successive prototype becomes a bit more detailed and refined, testing different aspects of your solution, until you end up with the MVP that you launch.
Start Low Fidelity
- Cheapest, fastest to create
- Easy to change based on feedback
- Tests basic concepts before investing in polish
Increase Fidelity As You Validate
- Each prototype answers different questions
- Only increase detail after validating previous level
- Don’t build functional version until flow/value is validated
Test At Every Level
- Every prototype should be tested with users
- Learn and iterate before moving to next fidelity
- Testing is ongoing, not a single step
Here’s the typical progression:
Low-fidelity:
- Paper prototype to test user flow and clarity of user interface
- Basic digital non-clickable wireframe to test navigation hierarchy
- Storyboard/sketches to test context and motivation, helps to visualize why the user needs the solution, when they will use it
Medium-fidelity:
- Basic clickable interactive wireframe to test usability, layout, completion of tasks
- Wizard of Oz demo to test user interaction
- Non-functional digital mockup to tests visual and brand design, color, typography
High-fidelity:
- Coded prototype to test technical feasibility – basically an MVP for a small, private group
- Pilot/beta version to test retention and scalability of core features
ACTIVITY 2
Create a Paper Prototype OR Digital Wireframe
Estimated Time: 1-2 hours
Before you build anything more detailed, start by testing your idea with a simple, low-fidelity prototype. This activity will help you quickly see what works, what’s confusing, and what you need to fix before moving forward.
1. Create a low-fidelity prototype of your solution
Create a low-fidelity prototype of your solution to visualize core interactions and test usability. If you’re making an app, click the button below for a template you may use to sketch your paper prototypes. You can also use a digital tool to create a wireframe at this stage.
2. Evaluate your work
Evaluate your work by seeing how well you can answer the following questions based solely on your paper prototype. Questions that are hard to answer or have unclear answers will reveal where more work will be needed.
- What is the core functionality of your product, as shown by your paper prototype?
- Explain the key steps a user must take to complete a task or achieve a goal. Is the process clear and easy to follow?
- How does each element in your prototype communicate its purpose to the user? Are any parts confusing?
- Which features, if any, could be removed without affecting the user’s ability to use your product?
- Which parts in your prototype guide the user’s attention first? Does this follow the visual hierarchy you intended?
3. Refine your prototype
Refine your prototype based on your answers to these questions.
Testing Process
Initial testing is about evaluating your prototype or MVP with real users to see whether your solution solves the core problem and is easy to use. At this stage, testing should be small, focused, and aimed at gathering actionable feedback rather than validating every detail.
Steps for Conducting Initial Testing
1
Select Participants
Choose users who resemble your target audience or early adopters. Look to your Lean Canvas to identify participants. Your Early Adopters, Customer Segments, and Channels sections should lead you to people willing to test your solution. Find 5-10 testers.
2
Prepare Tasks
Design simple, realistic tasks for users to test core features from your must-have list. Avoid giving instructions.
3
Observe and Record
Watch how users interact with your prototype. Note where they succeed, struggle, or improvise.
4
Ask Questions
Gather qualitative feedback by asking what was clear, confusing, or unexpected. Some questions you should ask:
- Does this solve an actual problem you have?
- How would you describe this to a friend? (this will test your UVP)
- How is this different from a competitor (identify competitor)?
- Would you use this again? How often?
- What is missing?
5
Analyze Findings
Identify patterns, prioritize issues, and decide which elements need the most attention. Ask yourself:
- Which features did the users confirm, or not?
- Did users experience your UVP?
- Can you measure your key metrics with your current prototype?
6
Plan Next Steps
Fix any issues or bugs immediately and test again if you can. If you missed any must-have features, plan to add them for your next iteration. Decide if you need to pivot at all.
Using Rapid Iteration in Testing
Rapid iteration is a way to conduct initial testing by making small improvements immediately after observing user interactions and feedback. Instead of waiting to build a fully polished product, you adjust the prototype on the spot or shortly after a test session. Then you test the revised version very soon afterward with new participants or returning users to validate the changes.
This fast cycle of test → feedback → update → retest helps you quickly identify usability issues, validate assumptions, and refine your solution before investing significant time or resources. Each iteration provides actionable insights and ensures that your product evolves based on real user needs rather than assumptions.
Rapid iteration emphasizes speed, learning, and continuous improvement, making testing an ongoing process rather than a single step in development.
Learning From Your Testing
Your prototypes are extremely valuable learning tools. Every piece of feedback, confusion, or failed assumption provides valuable insight into how to strengthen your solution. Review your findings and look for patterns. Consider which features clearly solved a user’s problem and which interactions caused hesitation or confusion. By iterating based on real user insights, you’ll move closer to creating a solution that truly meets people’s needs and stands the test of real-world use.
ACTIVITY 3
User Testing
Estimated Time: Multiple Days
Test your prototype from Activity 2 with real users to evaluate usability, understand how well your solution addresses the core problem, and gather actionable feedback for improvement.
If you are testing a non-technical part of your solution, you can still follow the steps below to validate it with users and get feedback.
1. Select Participants
Choose users who resemble your target audience or early adopters as their behavior and feedback are most likely to reflect real-world use.
2. Prepare Tasks
Design simple, realistic tasks for participants to complete using your prototype. Avoid giving step-by-step instructions.
3. Observe and Record
Watch how users engage with your prototype, noting successes, struggles, and improvisations. With permission, record the session for future reference.
4. Ask Questions
After participants complete tasks, ask questions to uncover insights about usability, clarity, and value. Here are some sample questions
- What was your first impression of the product?
- Which steps were confusing or unclear?
- Did anything frustrate you or slow you down?
- Which features did you find most useful?
- Is there anything you expected to happen that didn’t?.
- How would you explain this product to someone else?
5. Review Feedback and Plan Next Steps
Analyze your notes and recordings to identify patterns, successes, and areas that need improvement.Then, decide which issues are critical to address immediately and which can be refined later. Use these insights to update your prototype or MVP, adjust your design, or refine feature priorities.
Iteration
Note that your prototypes are not meant to be perfect. The reason you iterate is you prototype, test, adjust, and iterate. The testing itself will unveil what needs to be fixed or improved. You are not looking for perfection, you are looking to learn from this process.
You have done some initial testing and gathered feedback. Next steps might be:
- If testing went well, refine MVP, move to a higher-fidelity prototype
- If testing had mixed results, identify issues, fix critical one, and retest
- If testing uncovered major issues, don’t panic! Check your problem-solution alignment, consider pivoting, and check back in with stakeholders.
Whatever the results, do keep iterating. Failure is learning! Doing this rapid prototyping will help you save time and make sure you are on the right path to solving the problem for users.
Take the insights you’ve gathered and let them guide your next steps. Use what you’ve learned to inform future iterations and developments of your solution.
Reflection
With an MVP scope, prototypes, and some initial feedback in hand, take some time to consider the following questions.
Additional Resources
If you are interested in UI/UX considerations, these are useful websites:
- Material design color palette: https://goo.gl/NP5o44
- Elevation and shadows: https://goo.gl/OWZzCw
More information on types of prototypes and when to use them can be found here.
